


Necromancy for Two

by inquisitor_tohru



Category: The Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Codependency, Gen, Implied/Referenced Incest, Necromancy, No Harrow the Ninth Spoilers (Locked Tomb Trilogy)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:40:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26799718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inquisitor_tohru/pseuds/inquisitor_tohru
Summary: Consistently performing necromancy for two was beginning to take its toll on Ianthe.
Relationships: Coronabeth Tridentarius & Ianthe Tridentarius
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25
Collections: Shipoween 2020 - The Halloween Ship Exchange!





	Necromancy for Two

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vachtar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vachtar/gifts).



Consistently performing necromancy for two was beginning to take its toll on Ianthe. Her complexion had grown paler and waxier than her sister's from sweating so much blood, and her hair turned straight and limp, as if it could not bear its own weight. Coronabeth, on the other hand, with her bright golden curls and rich copper skin, had strength and vitality enough for two. Sometimes, Naberius almost wondered if she fed on Ianthe's thanergy the way Ianthe fed on his, to have such lovely hair - but it was, of course, impossible.

Coronabeth Tridentarius, Crown Princess of Ida, had not one iota of necromantic talent in her otherwise perfect body, and no one could ever know.

It was a tragedy, really. Coronabeth was a glittering jewel, the life of the party, a living embodiment of every virtue of the Third House, while Ianthe...was Ianthe. She was far from hideous to look upon, but Ianthe was bookish and severely lacking in social graces. Even dressed in the latest fashions, in the House colours of gold and purple, the clothes never seemed to fit right, and she looked out of place at any kind of social gathering. If he had been a more generous man, Naberius might have seen Ianthe's predicament as a result of the burden thrust unfairly upon a six year old child's delicate shoulders. But he was not a particularly generous man, and his predominant opinion of Ianthe was that she was the worst thing an heir to the Third House could be.

Ianthe Tridentarius, Princess of Ida, was frightfully _dull,_ and everyone knew it.

For all their differences, the sisters were rarely apart from one another, and he got the distinct impression that it wasn't _just_ to keep up the ruse of a matched set of necromancers. Coronabeth and Ianthe had always seemed to share an understanding that others - even Naberius - were not privy to. Twins were often closely bonded, or so he'd heard, though he'd never met others. Perhaps it was no more than idle gossip spurred on by the princess' relationship. It hadn't escaped his notice that since their birth, numerous prospective parents had opted into IVF, hoping for a higher chance at having twins of their own. The royal family of Ida, after all, were nothing if not trend-setters.

Coronabeth trained with him fairly often, despite it not being particularly _proper_ for a crown princess and supposed necromancer, and Naberius frequently worried that someone would catch on. They never did. Just like they didn't ever really catch on when it came to the rather complicated and nebulous nature of her relationship with Ianthe. (To be fair, that had taken Naberius himself a long time and he saw the princesses every day.)

Eventually, one had to come to realise and _accept_ that they'd never know Coronabeth or Ianthe as completely as the two of them knew one another. Naberius had first realised that when, as children, the twins had developed a private language to converse alone, even amongst the throngs of party-goers they were paraded in front of. Coronabeth was in her element at those parties, approached by numerous suitors, and yet a part of her always remained with Ianthe. It was a tragedy, really.

A real _waste._


End file.
